editorNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94As NPR's correspondent covering campaign finance and lobbying, Peter Overby totes around a business card that reads Power, Money & Influence Correspondent. Some of his lobbyist sources call it the best job title in Washington. Overby was awarded an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia silver baton for his coverage of the 2000 campaign and the 2001 Senate vote to tighten the rules on campaign finance. The citation said his reporting "set the bar" for the beat. In 2008, he teamed up with the Center for Investigative Reporting on the Secret Money Project , an extended multimedia investigation of outside-money groups in federal elections. Joining with NPR congressional correspondent Andrea Seabrook in 2009, Overby helped to produce Dollar Politics , a multimedia examination of the ties between lawmakers and lobbyists, as Congress considered the health-care overhaul bill. The series went on to win the annual award for excellence in Washington-based reporting given by the Radio and TelevisionNPR Digital Services RSS Generator 0.94Peter OverbyFri, 16 Mar 2018 07:51:21 +0000Peter Overbyhttp://wesa.fm
Peter OverbyThe Federal Election Commission, better known for deadlocks than decisions, has unanimously agreed to take a first step against anonymous political advertising on the internet. The proposed rule deals with disclaimers — the "authorized by" taglines that are mandatory in print, television and radio ads that explicitly support or attack candidates. The proposal would update FEC regulations dating back to 2006, when cutting-edge digital politicking involved buying ads on websites and blogs, mobile apps were just surfacing and internet-connected appliances were beyond the horizon. Those earlier regulations generally used the existing rules for radio and TV advertising. Now, with the commission under pressure to deal with digital ads, chair Caroline Hunter, a Republican, and vice chair Ellen Weintraub, a Democrat, negotiated a compromise that blends provisions from both sides into a single proposed rule. The proposal will be shaped through public comments over 60 days, and a June 27 publicLong-Divided Federal Election Commission Unites On Digital Ad Transparencyhttp://wesa.fm/post/long-divided-federal-election-commission-unites-digital-ad-transparency
105234 as http://wesa.fmThu, 15 Mar 2018 15:16:00 +0000Long-Divided Federal Election Commission Unites On Digital Ad TransparencyPeter OverbyAt least for one more day, the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania are alive with the sound of campaign cash. Voters in the state's 18th Congressional District on Tuesday elect a new member of Congress. It's a surprisingly close race in this reliably Republican district between Democratic former prosecutor Conor Lamb and Republican state legislator Rick Saccone. GOP and conservative groups are shoveling in dollars to overcome Saccone's lackluster fundraising — this despite his claim that he "was Trump before Trump was Trump." The Center for Responsive Politics reported Friday the two sides had spent a total of $15.6 million — slightly more than the most costly House races in 2016, although far less than the maelstrom of a special election in Georgia last year, which cost $69.2 million. Republicans have poured more than twice as much as Democrats into the Pennsylvania race. That flood of spending comes even though the district won't exist after this November's election, following theGOP Pours Cash Into Pennsylvania Special Election To Prevent An Upset Defeathttp://wesa.fm/post/gop-pours-cash-pennsylvania-special-election-prevent-upset-defeat
104928 as http://wesa.fmMon, 12 Mar 2018 09:00:00 +0000GOP Pours Cash Into Pennsylvania Special Election To Prevent An Upset DefeatPeter OverbyOne regular part of White House press briefings these days is the update on corruption allegations in Trump's Cabinet. Most recently, the questions have focused on Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, who piggybacked a minivacation on taxpayer-paid travel to two conferences in Europe, and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson, a gifted brain surgeon in trouble for ordering custom-made chairs, dining table and hutch for his office. They cost $31,000. "On Secretary Carson, the order that you referenced was canceled, and they're looking for another option that's much more responsible with taxpayer dollars," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told a reporter at the briefing Friday, offering a halfhearted defense of Carson. At least seven current and former officials in Trump's 24-member Cabinet have faced accusations of abusing the perks of their office. Tom Price, the former head of the Department of Health and Human Services, lost his job after it wasTrump's Cabinet Scandals: Is Abuse Of Office Contagious? http://wesa.fm/post/trumps-cabinet-scandals-abuse-office-contagious
104676 as http://wesa.fmThu, 08 Mar 2018 10:22:00 +0000Trump's Cabinet Scandals: Is Abuse Of Office Contagious? Peter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST: Let's look now at a scandal in the Trump administration that has not made a lot of headlines. It involves several Cabinet officials and the ways they've spent taxpayer money. NPR's Peter Overby has our story. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: The latest Cabinet member in the hot seat is Ben Carson, former brain surgeon, Republican primary rival to Trump, now Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He's in trouble over custom-made furniture for his office - a dining table, 10 chairs and a hutch, price tag $31,000. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended him sort of at last Friday's briefing. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS: On Secretary Carson, the order that you referenced was canceled, and they're looking for another option that's much more responsible with taxpayer dollars. OVERBY: Trump has already fired one Cabinet secretary, Tom Price of Health and Human Services. He took charterFinding Common Threads In Trump Cabinet Members' 'Unethical Behavior'http://wesa.fm/post/finding-common-threads-trump-cabinet-members-unethical-behavior
104657 as http://wesa.fmWed, 07 Mar 2018 23:39:00 +0000Finding Common Threads In Trump Cabinet Members' 'Unethical Behavior'Peter OverbyUpdated at 2 p.m. ET A federal ethics agency has ruled that one of President Trump's closest White House aides twice broke the law separating government from politics. Kellyanne Conway, who was Trump's campaign manager in 2016, advocated for Republican Roy Moore in Alabama's recent Senate election during live television interviews broadcast from the White House lawn. The Office of Special Counsel found Conway violated the Hatch Act, which bars federal employees from using their office for partisan politics. OSC is an independent federal ethics agency that has no relationship with Department of Justice special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference with the 2016 election. In two interviews on the Alabama race, one with Fox News and one with CNN, Conway spoke in front of the White House using her official title, counselor to the president, while repeatedly attacking the Democratic candidate, Doug Jones. "Doug Jones in Alabama, folks, don't be fooled. He will beKellyanne Conway Violated Federal Ethics Rules, Watchdog Agency Sayshttp://wesa.fm/post/kellyanne-conway-violated-federal-ethics-rules-watchdog-agency-says
104540 as http://wesa.fmTue, 06 Mar 2018 19:01:00 +0000Kellyanne Conway Violated Federal Ethics Rules, Watchdog Agency SaysPeter OverbyThere's nothing like adversity to get political donors reaching for their credit cards, which made 2017 – Donald Trump's first year as president – the best year yet for the Democratic nonprofit ActBlue. A conduit more than a solicitor of cash, ActBlue has been around since 2004. It's played a role in some of the Democrats' big fundraising successes, some fueled by a candidate's personality or message, and now increasingly stoked by anger or fear. In a midterm election year where Democrats are running grassroots campaigns with first-time candidates, the fundraising platform is tapping anti-Trump sentiment like never before. In 2017, ActBlue raised a record $522.7 million for Democratic candidates and causes. By comparison, the Trump presidential campaign committee took in $350.7 million over two years for the 2016 election. The site also stores the credit card numbers of 4.4 million Democratic donors (adding one million in 2017), allowing those donors to seamlessly give to multipleTrump Powers Small Dollar Donor Surge For Democratic Fundraising Site http://wesa.fm/post/trump-powers-small-dollar-donor-surge-democratic-fundraising-site
103909 as http://wesa.fmTue, 27 Feb 2018 10:36:00 +0000Trump Powers Small Dollar Donor Surge For Democratic Fundraising Site Peter OverbyThe Trump Organization sent the U.S. Treasury an undisclosed sum last week, in the first of what it says are annual payments to compensate for hotel profits from foreign officials. "This voluntary contribution fulfills our pledge to donate profits from foreign government patronage at our hotels and similar businesses during President Trump's term in office," George Sorial, the company's chief compliance counsel, said in a written statement on Monday. A Treasury spokeswoman confirmed the payment was received. The size of the payment was not disclosed. The transactions the payment was based on and the foreign governments involved were also not disclosed. The payment comes as the Justice Department is defending President Trump in three lawsuits that allege he is violating the foreign emoluments and domestic emoluments clauses of the Constitution — anti-corruption provisions that bar the president from taking rewards or gifts from foreign or state governments. Sorial's statement doesn'tTrump Pays Treasury Undisclosed Sum For Hotel Profits From Foreign Governmentshttp://wesa.fm/post/trump-pays-treasury-undisclosed-sum-hotel-profits-foreign-governments
103897 as http://wesa.fmTue, 27 Feb 2018 01:38:00 +0000Trump Pays Treasury Undisclosed Sum For Hotel Profits From Foreign GovernmentsPeter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: When it comes to political fundraising, nothing brings in the money like adversity. So the first year of Donald Trump's presidency was very good for the nonprofit ActBlue. It makes a fundraising platform that has become the go-to for Democratic candidates and causes. NPR's Peter Overby reports. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: ActBlue has been around since 2004. It's played a role in some of the Democrats' big fundraising successes, some of them fueled by a candidate's personality or message, or now increasingly stoked by anger or fear. One early example - this outburst during President Barack Obama's speech to Congress in September 2009. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) BARACK OBAMA: The reforms I'm proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally. JOE WILSON: You lie. (BOOING) OVERBY: The shouter was Joe Wilson, a Republican congressman from South Carolina. A flood of small-dollar contributions flowed to his Democratic rival,Resistance To Trump's Presidency Is Helping Groups On The Left Raise Moneyhttp://wesa.fm/post/resistance-trumps-presidency-helping-groups-left-raise-money
103888 as http://wesa.fmMon, 26 Feb 2018 21:07:00 +0000Resistance To Trump's Presidency Is Helping Groups On The Left Raise MoneyPeter OverbyUpdated Feb. 15 at 5:30 p.m. ET President Trump's inaugural committee raised twice as much as any of its predecessors, but its final filing with the IRS shows it spent most of the money on events that were significantly scaled back from past years. The Trump committee raised $106.8 million, roughly twice as much as President Barack Obama's 2009 committee. Insiders suggested substantial gifts to charity with the unspent funds. Thomas Barrack, a Trump ally and president of the inaugural committee, told the Daily Beast last fall that the IRS filing "will show that millions of dollars of reserve funds will be allocated to various charities, institutions, and foundations in an amount that will surely exceed any previous inauguration." The filing doesn't exactly show that. The committee gave $1 million each to the American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Samaritan's Purse in 2017. The filing shows three more contributions: $1 million to the White House Historical Association, $750,000 to theTrump's Inauguration: Record Spending Leaves Little For Charitieshttp://wesa.fm/post/trumps-inauguration-record-spending-leaves-little-charities
103112 as http://wesa.fmThu, 15 Feb 2018 21:57:00 +0000Trump's Inauguration: Record Spending Leaves Little For CharitiesPeter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: The story of President Trump's alleged sexual encounter with an adult film star is a little more complicated today. A personal attorney to Trump, Michael Cohen, told The New York Times he was the one who paid hush money to Stephanie Clifford, known professionally as Stormy Daniels. Now the question is, was that payment to help Trump win the election? NPR's Peter Overby reports. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: The payment was $130,000. Cohen told The Times it was a private transaction not connected to the campaign. Quote, "I used my own personal funds to facilitate a payment to Stephanie Clifford." He said, quoting again, "neither The Trump Organization nor the Trump campaign was a party to the transaction, and neither reimbursed me for the payment either directly or indirectly." So he's saying it didn't come from the two organizations targeted in a legal complaint to the Federal Election Commission. But that may not settle the issue. PAULTrump Lawyer Says He Paid Former Adult Film Star $130,000 In A Private Transactionhttp://wesa.fm/post/trump-lawyer-says-he-paid-former-adult-film-star-130000-private-transaction
103015 as http://wesa.fmWed, 14 Feb 2018 22:55:00 +0000Trump Lawyer Says He Paid Former Adult Film Star $130,000 In A Private TransactionPeter OverbyPresident Trump has picked a new chief for the Office of Government Ethics, seven months after the last confirmed head of the agency quit in frustration over his conflicts with the White House. Emory A. Rounds III is an associate counsel at OGE, a career civil servant who previously served in the ethics office of the Commerce Department and in the Navy's Judge Advocate General's Corps, or the JAG Corps . The White House announced Wednesday that Trump intends to nominate Rounds as OGE director for a five-year term that requires Senate confirmation. Rounds "is somebody who plays it by the book," said Richard Painter, the former White House ethics counsel to President George W. Bush. He hired Rounds as a deputy counsel. "He insists that the rules be enforced, and interpreted very strictly." Painter added: "I did not know whether he was a Democrat or a Republican or an independent, when I was there at the White House. He didn't consider it relevant, what his party affiliation was, andTrump's Choice For Ethics Chief Wins Praise As 'Somebody Who Plays It By The Book'http://wesa.fm/post/trumps-choice-new-ethics-chief-wins-praise-somebody-who-plays-it-book
102577 as http://wesa.fmFri, 09 Feb 2018 10:00:00 +0000Trump's Choice For Ethics Chief Wins Praise As 'Somebody Who Plays It By The Book'Peter OverbyAfter the Watergate scandals in the 1970s, Congress passed a series of laws to reduce the influence of big donors in politics and to increase transparency. Forty years later, those laws have been weakened by additional legislation and a series of court decisions. Where the Watergate reforms established a single regulated system used by all candidates to finance their political campaigns, there are now three separate systems. Candidates and the political parties work mainly within vestigial, regulated system of the 1970s. Big donors benefit from a largely unregulated system that caters to them. And small-dollar, grass-roots supporters use the Internet to give spontaneously or on an automated schedule. In 2016, individuals spent $5.2 billion on federal elections. Half of that money, $2.6 billion, came from just 19,145 people, about as many as live in Johnstown, Pa. All of this comes from new research from the Bipartisan Policy Center , which examines American's campaign finance systemCampaign Finance System Of Big Money Now Overshadows Watergate-Era Reformshttp://wesa.fm/post/campaign-finance-system-big-money-now-overshadows-watergate-era-reforms
102397 as http://wesa.fmWed, 07 Feb 2018 10:00:00 +0000Campaign Finance System Of Big Money Now Overshadows Watergate-Era ReformsPeter OverbyCopyright 2018 NPR. To see more, visit ARI SHAPIRO, HOST: Here's a statistic to chew on as congressional candidates chase money for midterm elections. This stat is from 2016. That year, individual donors gave or spent $5 billion and half of that came from 19,000 people - about the population of Johnstown, Pa. While small donors are giving more than ever, the campaign finance system has changed dramatically to benefit the wealthy. NPR's Peter Overby reports. PETER OVERBY, BYLINE: In July 2015, presidential hopeful Rick Perry ripped one of his rivals in a speech. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) RICK PERRY: A barking carnival act that can best be described as Trumpism. OVERBY: Perry's campaign ended less than two months later. Now he's President Trump's energy secretary. But the setting for his speech - he was at a forum paid for by a friendly superPAC - that's something with staying power. Perry was starved for cash. The law caps contributions to candidates at $2,700. The superPAC thatHow The Campaign Finance System Has Changed To Benefit The Wealthyhttp://wesa.fm/post/how-campaign-finance-system-has-changed-benefit-wealthy
102358 as http://wesa.fmTue, 06 Feb 2018 21:27:00 +0000How The Campaign Finance System Has Changed To Benefit The WealthyPeter OverbyUpdated at 1 p.m. ET Barely a month ago, a federal judge in New York dismissed an anti-corruption lawsuit against President Trump. But on Thursday, another federal judge, in a different courtroom, gave the same basic argument a much friendlier response. Judge Peter Messitte, of federal district court in Greenbelt, Md., seemed sympathetic to the assertion that Trump profits from the nexus of his hotels and the presidency. During a preliminary hearing, the argument against Trump was made by two plaintiffs — the state of Maryland and the District of Columbia. They allege that Trump is violating the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which bars any president from personally profiting from his dealings with foreign governments — or even U.S. state governments. "The fact is, Trump is taking money from foreign governments," Maryland Attorney General Brian Frosh told reporters after the hearing. "He's taking money from the United States that's he's not entitled to, and he's also receivingFederal Judge Seems Sympathetic To Anti-Corruption Case Against President Trumphttp://wesa.fm/post/federal-judge-seems-sympathetic-anti-corruption-case-against-president-trump
101514 as http://wesa.fmFri, 26 Jan 2018 10:00:00 +0000Federal Judge Seems Sympathetic To Anti-Corruption Case Against President TrumpPeter OverbyAs President Trump marks the first anniversary of his inauguration, his lawyers are preparing for next week's preliminary arguments in a suit that alleges he is violating the Constitution's anti-corruption provisions, known as the foreign and domestic Emoluments Clauses. The suit, brought by the District of Columbia and the state of Maryland , contends that people seeking to influence the Trump administration are pumping money into his hotels and golf courses. Such transactions "could result in the president caring more about where his bread is being buttered than about the policy implications for the country," Karl Racine, attorney general for the District of Columbia, told NPR. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday in U.S. District Court in Greenbelt, Md. Trump faces two other suits making similar arguments; one involves private business owners who say they are facing unfair competition from Trump-owned properties and the other was brought by Democrats in Congress. In all three casesAfter A Year In Office, Trump Still Facing Constitutional Challenges Over Businesseshttp://wesa.fm/post/after-year-office-trump-still-facing-constitutional-challenges-over-businesses
101091 as http://wesa.fmSun, 21 Jan 2018 12:00:00 +0000After A Year In Office, Trump Still Facing Constitutional Challenges Over BusinessesPeter OverbyPresident Trump marks his first year in the White House on Jan. 20. Since he took the oath, he's been dogged by questions about his hundreds of businesses and the conflicts of interest they pose. In attempts to confront Trump and force him to address these conflicts, congressional Democrats, state attorneys general and watchdog groups have sued the president. So far, their cases have not advanced very far in court. A federal judge has dismissed one suit. But there's another legal challenge to Trump, and that's coming from a lone attorney in Washington, D.C. — Jeffrey Lovitky, a solo practitioner who often sues federal agencies over complying with regulations. Last year, he wound up suing Trump after combing through the president's personal financial disclosures. At the time, he told NPR it's not easy deciding to sue a sitting president. "It is intimidating. I am intimidated. I mean, I would rather not be doing this," he told NPR last March. Lovitky sued over an issue in the personalFor 1 Attorney, A Lonely Legal Fight To Make Trump Comply With Rules http://wesa.fm/post/1-attorney-lonely-legal-fight-make-trump-comply-rules
100676 as http://wesa.fmMon, 15 Jan 2018 10:00:00 +0000For 1 Attorney, A Lonely Legal Fight To Make Trump Comply With Rules Peter OverbyA federal district judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that President Trump is violating two anti-corruption provisions of the Constitution. Judge George Daniels, in Manhattan, said the plaintiffs lack the necessary legal standing to sue. And he said the heart of the plaintiffs' case — the Constitution's Foreign Emoluments Clause — was something they couldn't even sue over. The Foreign Emoluments Clause bars federal officials from taking gifts or rewards from foreign governments, unless Congress consents. Trump maintains that the two emoluments clauses — foreign and domestic — don't apply here, and he has never asked permission of Congress. "No one would have thought when the Constitution was written that paying your hotel bill was an emolument," Sheri Dillon, one of Trump's lawyers, told reporters last January. "Instead, it would have been thought of as a value-for-value exchange. Not a gift, not a title, and not an emolument." In his ruling, Daniels said Congress, not any citizen,Trump Wins First Round In Legal Battle Over Emolumentshttp://wesa.fm/post/trump-wins-first-round-legal-battle-over-emoluments
99156 as http://wesa.fmFri, 22 Dec 2017 04:21:00 +0000Trump Wins First Round In Legal Battle Over EmolumentsPeter OverbyWealthy Americans may get a new conduit for political money in the tax overhaul bill now being reconciled on Capitol Hill. A small provision in the House version of the bill would let big donors secretly give unlimited amounts to independent political groups — and write off the contributions as charitable gifts. "You not only get to help that candidate with a big contribution, it's not going to be publicized and you're going to be able to take a tax deduction on top of it," said Michael Franz, a political scientist, who analyzes political advertising with the Wesleyan Media Project. The change would echo — or possibly dwarf — the influx of unregulated, undisclosed campaign money brought about by two Supreme Court decisions over the past decade. Those rulings permitted unlimited contributions to tax-exempt "social welfare" groups engaging in politics. The groups operate under Section 501(c)(4) of the tax code and don't disclose their donors. The conservative Koch brothers network andTax Bill Could Offer New Way To Funnel Political Cash — And Make It Tax-Deductiblehttp://wesa.fm/post/tax-bill-could-offer-new-way-funnel-political-cash-and-make-it-tax-deductible
98066 as http://wesa.fmFri, 08 Dec 2017 12:00:00 +0000Tax Bill Could Offer New Way To Funnel Political Cash — And Make It Tax-DeductiblePeter OverbyPresident Trump has never been shy about promoting his businesses. Even at a press conference after the racially tinged violence in Charlottesville, Va., he paused for a product placement: "Charlottesville is a great place that's been very badly hurt over the last couple of days. I own, I own actually one of the largest wineries in the United States. It's in Charlottesville." It's not one of the largest, although Trump's 2017 financial disclosure statement put its value between $11 million and $52 million. But its bottles were on the racks of a gift shop at Shenandoah National Park, about midway between Charlottesville and Washington, D.C. Some visitors saw the wine there last summer. They told one of their colleagues at the Center for Biological Diversity in D.C. The colleague is Bill Snape, a lawyer at the center. "They had been at Shenandoah National Park, and seen a lot of Trump wine," Snape told NPR. He drove down to see for himself, also to do some camping and birding. "Y'know, ITrump Wine: Local Promotion Or Presidential Product Placement?http://wesa.fm/post/trump-wine-local-promotion-or-presidential-product-placement
97045 as http://wesa.fmThu, 23 Nov 2017 21:40:00 +0000Trump Wine: Local Promotion Or Presidential Product Placement?Peter OverbyPresident Trump's charitable foundation received nearly $2.9 million in contributions in 2016, its latest federal tax filing shows — a million dollars more than it raised in the previous three years combined. Three donors gave the Donald J. Trump Foundation more than 80 percent of its 2016 contributions. Million-dollar donations came from Las Vegas casino owner Phil Ruffin, a friend of Trump's, and Laura Perlmutter, a Trump family friend and big donor to Republican causes. Ivanka Trump gave $100,000. There's no record of any funds from Trump himself. The foundation was extraordinarily active in 2016, which included the Republican presidential primaries and the general election. It distributed more than $3 million in grants and contributions, 25 percent more than the total for the preceding three years. The foundation was also busy cleaning up problems in the way it made donations, as documented in a procession of stories by Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold . Trump announcedTrump's Charity Had 3 Big Donors Last Year. None Of Them Was Donald Trumphttp://wesa.fm/post/trumps-charity-had-3-big-donors-last-year-none-them-was-donald-trump
96847 as http://wesa.fmTue, 21 Nov 2017 23:15:00 +0000Trump's Charity Had 3 Big Donors Last Year. None Of Them Was Donald Trump